Display-form for boots and shoes.



- F- 8. RICE.

DISPLAY FORM FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. 1915.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- F. B. RICE.

DISPLAY FORM FQR BOOTS AND SHOES. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27. I915.

1,172,736. Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

javeuit'joru I 71 622 15.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED B. RICE, OF DOVER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG'NOLRI T0 RICE & HUTCHINS,INCOR- PORATED, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

DISPLAY-FORM FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Application filed October 27, 1915. Serial No. 58,281.

of the United States, and resident of Dover,

county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvementin Display- Forms for Boots and Shoes, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention relates to a shoe or shoe form having a transparentportion. Such transparent portion will permit a view of a foot or footmodel as it is actually held in the shoe form. Preferably thetransparent portion will not prevent the entire shoe form from beingbent or flexed to simulate the action of a shoe during walking.

The object of the present invention is to enable the position of thehuman foot in a shoe to be displayed and studied either while at rest orduring the movement incident to walking. To this end I provide a shoehaving atransparent portion which is so located, or is itselfsufficiently flexible, as to permit the shoe to be bent or flexed as itis during walking. I may also place a flexible model of a foot withinthe shoe, and bend both the shoe and model, to display the movement ofthe foot within a shoe. Such a model may be of rubber or other flexiblematerial, or of course, the transparent shoe form may be fitted directlyupon the human foot and displayed in this manner. In the action ofwalking, the forepart of the foot is necessarily moved on the insole andwithin the shoe upper, as the foot is bent backwardly and forwardly,

flexing the sole and shoe across the forepart. By having the uppertransparent, the actual relative movement of the foot, particularly theforepart and toes within the shoe, will be displayed. a In narrow toedshoes the malignant effects of crowding the toes together, duringwalking especially is clearly displayed, while in a broad toed or commonsensev shoe the natural position and movement of the foot permitted, atrest or during walking, is also displayed. Cutting away a portion of theshoe, of course, entirely removes the confining effects of the shoe andtherefore would not permit an accurate display or observation of theposi tion of the foot, nor the action of a foot,

while, confined within a shoe to be seen. I

believe that it is a distinct novelty in this art to provide a shoe witha transparent .portion, particularly such a transparent portion throughwhich to observe the action of the foot or a flexible model of a footwhile bending the shoe.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a view of my shoe form having atransparent upper; Fig. 2 is a side view of a shoe having transparentportions only at toe and heel, illustrating the model of a foot within ashoe; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the model foot andshoe, when flexed, simulating walking, with the forepart and toes of themodel in their forward position; and Fig. .4 is a plan view of the shoeform and model shown in Fig. 2, with the position at the toes of themodel as illustrated in Fig. 3 shown in dotted ing walking visiblewithin the transparent portion of the shoe. 1

I may utilize any suitable form, style, or make of shoe, preferably ofwell known construction, the shoe illustrated in the drawings being ofthe wellknown Educator style, with broad common sense toes and of childssize. Such a shoe has the usual outsole l and insole 2, united bystitching, or in any desired manner, and a transparent upper 3 havingits edge portions lasted over the insole 2 and engaged between theinsole 2 and-outsole 1. This transparent upper 3 may be of any suitablematerial, and preferably it is so located or is flexible to permit thesole and insole to be bent andflexed tosimulate the walking action. Iprefer to utilize celluloid or a specially treated'textile fabric whichwill be sufficiently transparent and at the same time flexible, but anupper with a large number of perforations, such as a wire mesh or screenmight also be employed. The essential features of the transparentportion of the display form are that it will permit the position or themovement of upper would confine it, and preferably of sufficient form orflexibility to permit the sole and boot model to be bent.

As the transparency of the forepart or vamp of the shoe upper is mostdesirable. to my present display form, I may simply make the foreparttransparent, and unite it with a leather, canvas, or textile upper, oras shown in Fig. 2, make the display form simply with a transparent vamp4,

illustrated in the drawings, or which may be of leather, cardboard, orthe like. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and i, when the shoe and model arebent backwardly and forwardly, simulating walking, the forepartand toesof the model move relatively with the shoe, forwardly approximately intothe position as shown in Fig. 3, and as indi cated in dotted lines inFig. 4. The more the foot and shoe are bent, the further are j the toescrowded into the forepart, as well known.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 I have illustrated a modification utilizing atransparent portion in a shoe. The transparent portion may be attachedto the remaining portion of the shoe upper, or not, as desired,but-constitutes a foot-retaining inclosure through which themodel 5 andits action during walking can be seen. In this form the transparentportion 10 may be united tothe upper. or vamp 11 by adhesive or othermeans, or may simply overlap or underlap the adjacent portions of thevamp 11 and a slight sliding, during flexing of the model and shoe, willresult without injury to either. In a shoe of this type thefoot-retaining and confining effect is more accurately reproduced thanwhere a transparent section only is utilized, asin the form shown inFigs. 1 to l. My invention contemplates, broadly, the use of anytransparent section in a shoe, or transparent portion alone, suchtransparency carrying out the normal contour of the shoe, retaining orconfining the foot within said contour and still permitting a view ofthe foot, or a foot model, within.

My display form therefore permits an accurate and careful display andstudy of the action of afoot in a shoe particularly during walking,while'the foot is actually confined by the shoe upper. This is a result,of course, which could not be obtained by the prior display apparatus,wherein the shoe cator type of shoe, I contemplate in actual use, theemploymentv of a variety of styles of shoe forms with transparentuppers, showing, variously, the effects of the foot in Walking while thetoes are too much confined, as in a pointed .toed shoe, or too muchexpanded, as in too wide a shoe, as well as in the proper form and stylewhich preserves the foot from distortion while permitting a full andfree movement. I contemplate utilizing my transparent shoe form as aneducational display apparatus, using a pointed toed model with atransparent portion to illustrate the confining and crowding of the toesand foot, together with a similar sized but different style shoe form,having a corresponding transparent portion to illustrate the unconfiningaction of this style. Also to use similar comparative shoe forms withthe transparent portion or structure so arranged as to permit theflexing of the sole and model asin walking. As above explained, thisresult can be secured either by having the transparent portion as asmall section only of the shoe, as near the toe portion, or as the edgeof the upper around the sole and only of suflicient height to insure thefoot confining action, while these constructions also permit a flexingof the form when desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A display form. for boots and shoes having a transparentfoot-inclosing portion to confine the foot or foot model therein, whilepermitting a view of the same therethrough. i

I 2. A display form for boots and shoes, comprising a transparent upperportion, in combination with a foot model therein, said transparentportion permittinga view therethrough of the foot model confinedtherein.

3. A display form for-boots and shoes, having a transparent flexiblefoot-inclosing portion to confine the foot or foot model, whilepermitting a view of the same during flexing of the display form.

4. A display form for boots and shoes,

comprising a shoe with a transparent upper portion, and a flexible footmodel therein, both shoe and model being capable of movement simulatingwalking, while permittinga view of the foot model through thetransparent portion.

6. A display form for boots and shoes, comprising a shoe of leather,canvas, or the like, having incorporated in the structure andtransparent, flexible material substi- 15 of the shoe a transparentsection permitting a view to the interior of the shoe, while preservingthe normal shoe contour.

T. A display form for boots and shoes, comprising a shoe of leather,canvas, or the like, having a portion of .the leather and liningremoved, and a flexible, transparent material substituted for saidremoved portion, permitting 'a view to the interior of the shoe.

8. A display form for boots and shoes, comprising a shoe of leather,canvas, or the like, having a portion of the upper removed tutedtherefor, said transparent material constituting a foot-confining meansfor the transparent section substantially equivalent to thefoot-confining effect of the leather for which said transparent materialis substituted.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRED B. RICE.

Witnesses:

G. M. NEIL, H. P. SMITH

